Welcome to the Learning Support blog! My name is Sarah Richardson and I am the Learning Support teacher here at Muritai School. The purpose of this blog is to provide lots of useful information and links that can be used by students who are part of the Learning Support programme and their parents and teachers, both in the classroom and at home.
Enjoy exploring and don't forget to scroll to the bottom to say hello to Minnie, The Learning Den Cat!

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Draw a Stickman is a fun little in-browser application, more an interactive movie than a game, that allows one to draw a stickman in the above box, which is the first thing to appear on the website once visited. After the stickman is finished and the stick artist clicks the done box, the interactive movie will begin, prompting the artist to draw various tools, weaponry and scenery in order to help the stickman progress through the scenes.

Friday, September 23, 2011

The unsung heroes and heroines of education are those very many teachers that have really gone that extra mile to make a difference to their children's learning. Through the wonders of the Internet we are able to share and celebrate their good work.

Here is one example of a teacher who has really put some thought and effort into teaching his kids the fundamentals of phonics. Fantastic!

Christopher Thorne is aYear 1 Teacher at a North London school in the UK. He has produced over 200 videos to help with the teaching of phonics which he hosts on his website at http://www.mrthornedoesphonics.com/ It's an excellent resource for children and parents, teachers and schools and anyone with English as a second language.

At present, there are approximately 200 videos on his Youtube channel, which have been viewed over 300,000 times! The videos cover a wide range of literacy concepts, some examples include short vowel sounds, consonant sounds and adjectives:-

Thursday, September 22, 2011

If a child insists on plugging into their iPod when they work, or if they swears that flash cards are the only way that they are able to learn their spelling words- listen up! While you may prefer a quiet room with no distractions when it comes to getting work done, that doesn’t mean it’s the best way for your kids to concentrate and get down to business.

The trick is to pay attention to how a child learns best so you as a teacher or parent can identify their unique learning style (not yours!) and then tap into it help them be more successful. For instance, if a child learns best by remembering what they see, point it out to them and encourage them to draw, mindmap or verbalise those images.